Automotive Design

Updated on Apr 28, 2020 - 4:44 p.m. IST by Team Careers360

What is Automotive Design?

Automotive Design is a specialised course in Mechanical Engineering. Automotive Design deals with
the designing of motor vehicles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. Basically, it is the
process of overall development of vehicles. Automotive Design Course is for those who have a
passion for cars. During the period of their study, they will get to know as to how to design and
produce visual interpretations of the automobiles and their components.

Automotive Design Highlights:

Automotive Design Course can be pursued as a B.Tech in Automotive Design Engineering, ME in

Automotive Technology, M.Tech in Automotive Engineering, M.Tech Automotive Technology. The
course teaches many things related to designing automobiles. Students completing automotive
design courses can work from anywhere in the world as it has many job opportunities outside India
as well. There are many institutes/universities that offer automotive design courses. Some of them
are given below:

There are various types of courses that students can pursue to become an automotive engineer.
Description of the courses are given below:

• B.Tech in Automotive Design Engineering: This is a four year undergraduate course. Students can
pursue this after completing their 10+2 qualification.Many institutes offer B.Tech in Automotive
Design Engineering course.

• ME in Automotive Technology, M.Tech in Automotive Engineering, M.Tech Automotive

Technology: These are two year postgraduate courses divided into four semesters. Students
should have a bachelor’s degree to pursue masters in Automotive Engineering.

Telecom Management Overview:

Automotive Design Level Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level

Four Years Course for Undergraduate and Two

Automotive Design Course Duration
Years course for Postgraduate
 Should qualify 10+2 examination with PCM (For
UG)
Eligibility
Should have a bachelor’s degree in the relevant
domain (For PG)

Course Level Bachelor’s and Master’s

On the basis of the marks scored in All India

Level Entrance Examination JEE Main/JEE
Selection Process
Advance/GATE/University Level Entrance
Examination

Average Courses Fee Rs 90,000 - Rs 15,00,000 per year

Average Salary Rs. 4 lakhs per annum - Rs 6 lakhs per annum

Course Type Engineering

Hero Motocorp, Ford, FIat, Nissan, Toyota,

Top Recruiters
Renault, General Motors

Eligibility Criteria for Automotive Design Course:

Admission to Automotive Design Courses will be done only if the aspirants fulfill the eligibility criteria
specified by the institutes. If the candidates failed to fulfill the eligibility criteria then they will not be
able to get the admission in the college/university. Eligibility criteria are different for different
institutes/universities. The common eligibility criteria for Automotive Design Course at
undergraduate and postgraduate level are given below:

At Undergraduate Level:

• Candidates should qualify 10+2 examinations with at least 50% marks from a recognised board/
institute.

• Candidates should have 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in 12th class.

At Postgraduate Level:

• Candidates should qualify a bachelor’s degree in the field of Engineering or Technology from a
recognised institute/university.

• Aspirants should also have a valid GATE score.

Top Entrance Examinations:

For admission to Automotive Design Course, some institutes/universities conduct their individual
entrance examination. Every year thousands of students give entrance exams to get admission to
automotive design institutes. Further, the shortlisted candidates have to appear for an interview at
the respective institutes. Some of the popular entrance examinations are given below:

• Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE): For admission to postgraduate engineering

courses candidates have to appear and qualify the GATE examination. Many institutes or
universities accept admission on the basis of the marks obtained in the GATE examination.

• UPES Engineering Aptitude Test (UPESEAT): UPESEAT is conducted by the School of Engineering,
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies. Students who will qualify the UPESEAT examination
will get admission to the university for the undergraduate automotive design course.

• CoEP Entrance Test: College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) conducts an entrance test for the
students who have not appeared in the GATE examination. Admission to postgraduate automotive
design courses will be based on the marks scored in an entrance examination.

• VITEEE: Vellore Institute of Technology Engineering Entrance Exam (VITEEE) is conducted by the
Vellore Institute of Technology for admission to the undergraduate courses.

• Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main): JEE Main Examination is conducted by the National Testing
Agency for admission to the undergraduate engineering courses. Many institutes like Delhi
Technological University, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies accept JEE Main score, Indian
Institute of Technology Madras accept JEE Advance score.

• Centurion University Entrance Exam (CUEE): CUEE is conducted by the Centurion University of
Technology and Management for admission to the undergraduate course.

Scope of Automotive Design Course:

As the market of motor vehicles are increasing day by day, a wide range of opportunities are coming
for automotive engineers in India and Abroad. For competing with each other, many multinational
companies have set up their business in India as well. Many new technologies have been already
introduced in the market and many more are about to be introduced.

As the market of motor vehicles is growing worldwide, students can get many job opportunities from
the foreign countries as well. So, the students who have pursued automotive engineering can work
from any part of the world. Companies like Fiat, Nissan, SAIC, BMW hire automotive engineers at a
very good package.
Automotive Design Course Subjects:

Before getting admission to Automotive Design Course, aspirants can check the syllabus of the
course to get the ideas about the subjects that are covered in the Automotive Design Course.
Syllabus of Automotive Design at the undergraduate level and postgraduate level are given below in
the table format:

At Undergraduate Level:

First Year

Semester 2 (Theory):
Semester 1 (Theory): • Mathematics II
• Mathematics I • Physics I
• Chemistry I • Physics I Lab
• Design Thinking • English
• Basic Electrical Engineering • English Lab
• Engineering Graphics • Workshop Practices
• Environmental Science • Basic Electronics Engineering
• Basic Electrical Engineering Lab • Basic Electronics Engineering Lab
• Chemistry I Lab • Programming for Problem Solving
• Induction Program • Programming for Problem Solving Lab
• Indian Constitution

Second Year

Semester 3: Semester 4 (Theory):

• Mathematics II • Biology for Engineers
• Engineering Mechanics • IC Engines
• Engineering Thermodynamics • Vehicle Technology
• Applied Fluid Mechanics • Material Science
• Automotive Electrical & Electronics • Strength of Materials
• Human Values & Ethics • Venture Ideation
• Engineering Graphics II Lab • Material Science and Material Testing Lab
• Engine Testing & Emission Measurement Lab

Third Year
 Semester 6:
• Automotive Sub-System Design
• Heat Transfer
• Open Elective I
• Professional Elective I
Semester 5: • Professional Elective II
• Vehicle Dynamics • Social Internship
• Design of Machine Elements • CAD Application in Automotive Systems Lab
• Microprocessor-Based Control Systems 1
• Theory of Machines • Project II
• Open Elective I • Presentation Skills
• Metrology & Manufacturing Technology PE I
• Microprocessor Lab • Ergonomics & Styling
• Project I • Facility Planning and Material Handling
• Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
PE II
• Advanced Manufacturing Process
• TQM + Industrial Engineering
• Tribology

Fourth Year
 Semester 8:
• Professional Elective IV
• Professional Elective V
Semester 7:
• Professional Elective VI
• Electric Vehicle Technology
• Project IV
• Professional Elective III
PE IV:
• Automation in Manufacturing
• Finite Element Method
• Open Elective III
• Operations Research
• CAE Applications in Automotive Systems Lab
• Vehicle Infotronics
• TOM & Vibration Lab
• Economics & Lifecycle Concepts
• Project III
PE V:
• Summer Internship
• Computational Fluid Dynamic
PE III
• Auto Certification & Homologation
• Advanced Microcontrollers for Auto Systems
• Rapid Prototyping & Tooling
• Control Engineering
• Mechanical Vibrations
• Metal Forming - Principles & Design
PE VI:
• Transportation Design & Development
• Modeling & Simulation
• Robotics & Mechatronics
• CAD/CAM

At Postgraduate Level:

First Year

Semester 1:
• Open Elective – I (To be offered by other
departments of the Institute
• Automotive Noise Vibration and Harshness
• I. C. Engines
• Automotive Engineering Systems
• Department Elective-I
• Seminar
• Automotive Laboratory-I (NVH)
Semester 2:
• Open Elective - I
• Vehicle Dynamics
• Automotive Electronics
• I. C. Engine Modelling
• Department Elective II
• Automotive Lab-II (Engine / Emissions / Fuel)
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Mini Project / Seminar

Second Year
 Semester 3:
• Environmental Studies
• Constitution of India Semester 4:
• Automotive Materials and Manufacturing • Dissertation Stage-II
• Computational Modeling and Simulation
• Department Elective-II
• Dissertation Stage-I

Career in Automotive Design:

There are many job opportunities after completing an automotive design course. As the technology is
growing rapidly worldwide, the demand for automotive engineers is also increasing. Many foreign
companies like Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, Nissan have set up their business in India and this opens
many opportunities for the pass out automotive engineers. So, the students who have completed the
automotive design course have many job opportunities such as an automotive designer, production
engineer, marine engineer, manufacturing engineer. Various job opportunities with their roles and
responsibilities are given below:

• Automotive Designer: The role of automotive designer is to design the layout of automobiles and
systems using sketches. They also determine the factors that can affect the design proposals.

• Automotive Engineer: The role of automotive engineers is to design, develop, manufacture, and
the testing of motor vehicles. They are also responsible for the marketing, sales and after-sales
care of the cars and motorbikes, etc.

• Marine Engineer: Propulsion systems, pumps, engines are designed, developed, built, installed,
inspected and maintained by the marine engineers. They are the specialist technical professionals
of the company.

• Production Engineer: The responsibilities of production engineers is to implement the production

process, reduce operating costs, improve quality of the product and ensure that productivity of the
company increases.

• Manufacturing Engineer: Manufacturing Engineers ensure that the safe and effective production
of the motor vehicles are going on.

Top Recruiters:

There are a number of job opportunities for the candidates who have qualified an automotive design
course. There are a number of multinational companies that require automotive design engineers
for different roles. Some of the top recruiters are given below:
 GM
Design
Hero Motocorp Design Studio, Jaipur Mahindra Design Studio, Mumbai
Studio,
Bangalore

Renault Design Studio, Mumbai Tata Elxsi, Bangalore Toyota

General
Volkswagen Group Hyundai
Motors

Ford Fiat Nissan

Psa,
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Renault, France
France

Daimler,
Suzuki, Japan Saic, China
Germany

BMW, Germany

Automotive Design Salary:

The salary of the students after passing the automotive design course depends on many factors such
as from which institute/university the students have completed their studies, how well the students
have performed in their academic sessions, which company they are looking for, how much relevant
experience they have. The average salary of an automotive design engineer is 6 LPA. As the
experience of the students gets more, then the payscale also gets increased. A person with more
than 8 years of experience can get more than 12 lakhs per annum and could go up to 20 lakhs per
year or even more. Salary division according to the experience of a person is given below in a tabular
format:

Years of Experience Salary Starting from Up to

INR 7
lakhs
Entry Level INR 4 lakhs per annum
per
annum
 INR 15
lakhs
Mid Level INR 7 lakhs per annum
per
annum

INR 20
lakhs
per
Top Level INR 15 lakhs per annum
annum
or
above

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs) - Automotive Design

Question: What is Automotive Design?

Answer:

Automotive Designing is a specialisation course of Mechanical Engineering. It helps the students to

study about the looks and design of motor vehicles.

Question: What is the starting salary after completing Automotive Design Course?

Answer:

The average salary after completing Automotive Design Course is 6 lakhs per annum. As the
experience of a person gets increased then the salary package also gets increased and will range
between 8 lakhs per annum to 15 lakhs per annum or above.

Question: What is the future scope after Automotive Design?

Answer:

Future scope after completion of automotive design course is very good. As the pass out students
can join multinational companies such as Ford, Fiat, Nissan. Students can become marine engineers,
automotive designers, and automotive engineers.
Question: What is the difference between Automobile Engineering and Automotive Engineering?

Answer:

Automobile Engineering deals with the looks and designing of cars while automotive engineering
deals with the overall development of vehicles.

Question: Which universities offer Automotive Design Course?

Answer:

Many institutes/universities offer Automotive Design courses such as Delhi Technological University,
School of Engineering UPES, College of Engineering Pune, National Institute of Technology Agartala,
AISSMS College of Engineering Pune.

Question: What is the eligibility criteria to join Bachelor’s and Masters in Automotive Design
Course?

Answer:

For Bachelor’s in Automotive Design, candidates should qualify 10+2 examinations with at least 50%
marks with PCM from the recognised board.

For Master’s in Automotive Design, candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in the field of
Engineering/Technology from a recognised institute/university.